1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a setup table for bottle handling machines with feed-end and delivery-end star wheels and associated guide tracks for the bottles, as well as drive devices for individual star wheels and handling stations, and a support plate that covers the drive devices.
2. Background Information
Setup tables of the type described above are found on bottle handling machines upstream of the actual large handling rotary bodies which can have a number of circular handling spaces located next to one another for the individual bottles. To feed and remove the bottles, such a setup table can have a feed-end worm gear which is used to establish the spacing of the bottles as a function of the distance between the handling spaces on the rotary bodies. The feed-end worm gear can then transfer the bottles with the appropriate distance between them into circulating intermediate star wheels, which then in turn can deliver the bottles to the handling spaces. After the bottles have been cycled through to the outlet-side area of the rotating bodies, corresponding transfer start wheels can be provided to remove and transport the bottles further.
Additional handling stations, e.g. capping machines, labeling machines etc. can be located in this setup table area. As a result of the high speed of circulation, fragments of glass and residual fluids are often found in this overall area, which means that periodic cleanings are correspondingly necessary.
In particular when such machines are combined into large units or assemblies, with the conventional layout and sequencing of these machines, there are a plurality of transfer points and feed-end and delivery-end start wheels, which on one hand represent bottlenecks on high capacity machines, and on the other hand form problem zones, in particular from the hygienic point of view, as a result of the accumulation of glass fragments and residual fluids.